


Story Time

by To_Shiki



Series: ___ Time stories [2]
Category: DCU - Comicverse, Nightwing (Comics)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-23
Updated: 2013-05-23
Packaged: 2017-12-12 18:32:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/814671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/To_Shiki/pseuds/To_Shiki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Story time for a little princess and her papa</p>
            </blockquote>





	Story Time

Story Time

Normally after an early night out patrolling the streets of New York Arsenal would go home, shower, and spend time with his little girl and husband (if he was done with his own patrol).  Since Dick had the misfortune of breaking his wrist when the family had gone out to ice skate at the park, he knew for a fact that he was indeed home by now.  Neither Arsenal nor their daughter let him out. 

Tonight, however, found him crouched on the window sill of his bedroom with a soft smile.  There on the bed was his wounded bird and little girl.  Lian was sitting with her back against the headboard and a thick book of fairy tales in her hands.  The book was big enough to block out the bedside lamp’s light from hitting Dick’s face as he lay on his right side, left arm complete with cast over Lian’s lap in a sleepy hug.  From the faint chuckle every now and again he knew that Dick wasn’t asleep yet.

It didn’t help that in the past 10 minutes of observing the two Lian had mixed together four different stories.

“And then the Little Mermaid married the Tin Solider.  Then their daughter Thumb’lina-”  A hand nudging her topped the interesting twist.

“Hey, sweetheart, why don’t you tell your daddy to come inside and close the window already?”

Busted!  Which means that Dick ‘forgot’ to take his meds again if he was this attentive.  As Roy fully entered the bedroom he asked, “Did you take your painkillers Doc Leslie gave you, Robbie?”

Silence.

Lian put the book down, careful to avoid the cast, and pouted.  “No, he didn’t, daddy!”

The guilty man shifted slowly to lie on his back.  “Tattle-tale,” he grumbled.  He attempted to use his puppy eyes on Roy as the hero began putting away his weapons.  “I don’t want to take them.  It doesn’t even hurt anymore.  See?”  He tried to demonstrate that he was fine by wiggling his fingers but couldn’t hold back the hiss of pain.

“Uh huh.”  Roy’s look of disbelief was mirrored perfectly on Lian’s face.  “And no name calling.  Sets a bad example for our princess here.”  Both father and daughter had learned quickly to ignore anything Dick said when it came to his health.  The archer had it figured out a long time ago and was now glad that his daughter was here as back-up.  “It didn’t hurt before because you still had the painkillers in your system, Boy Wonder.”  Roy stripped down to just his pants, leaving the rest in a pile by the laundry basket for later.  “Where they at?”

For about three seconds the fallen acrobat contemplated not saying anything.  Then he received a glare from his husband and a kick in the side by Lian.  A gentle kick but still enough to get her point across.  “They’re in the bathroom in the cabinet,” he finally answered, letting out a frustrated, “it’s not that bad,” afterwards.

Roy made his way into the bathroom and emerged a half minute later with not only a huge white pill but glass of water as well.  “Take it.  Princess, make sure he does, please.”  He handed off the pill and glass and ruffled his girl’s hair.  “I’ll be back after I shower to put you two to bed properly,” he promised.

A quick shower later and he was dressed in sleep pants and shirt.  Once again he paused to take in the scene before him.  Now Lian was curled up in Dick’s lap, his left wrist cradled protectively across her chest.  In his right hand he had the book propped open and was reading the correct version of _The Little Mermaid_.  His cheek rested on top of her mop of black hair.  Dropping eyelids half covered blue eyes as they roved over the pages.

“A little depressing for bedtime, wouldn’t you say?” Roy asked as he pushed away from the doorframe and sauntered over to the bed.  He climbed up at the foot of the bed and made his way to them.  Settling down next to Dick, he pulled his little girl over to rest on his right while Dick slouched against his left.  Once all three were under the covers he took the book from his husband and prepared to continue.

“ _In three hundred years,” she said,”_ he read in as girly a voice he could manage, “ _I shall see eternity.”_

_“That time may come sooner,” her companions replied.  “When we fly into the homes of human beings, we look for the children.  If they have been good, a year is taken from the time we have to earn immortality.  But if the children have behaved badly, then we cry—for an extra day is added to the three hundred years before we have our reward.”_

“See, daddy?” a sleepy Lian said.  “They get rewards that’re better than the punishments.”  She snuggled down against her dad’s side smiling.

“Usually rewards _are_ better than punishments, right Dick?”  The hero received no response.  Looking over found his husband sound asleep from the painkillers, head resting on Roy’s shoulder like it was the most comfortable pillow in the world.

Lian reached over and flipped through the pages while Roy wrapped his left arm around Dick’s shoulders, causing Dick’s head to land on his chest.  “Read –yawn- this one, daddy.”  She patted the page announcing the story to be _The Emperor’s New Clothes_.  “It’s funny.”

“Sure thing, sweetheart.”  He knew that before the story was half-finished she’d be just as asleep as her papa.  He placed a kiss on top of her head right where Dick’s cheek had been not five minutes before.  Lian wiggled a little ‘til she was comfortable again, closing her eyes as her daddy began reading.

_“A long time ago there lived an Emperor who was so vain that he spent hours every day changing his clothes and looking at himself in the mirror.  He wasn’t interested in…”_

**Author's Note:**

> The Little Mermaid, Thumbelina, and The Emperor’s New Clothes are property of Hans Christian Anderson. The book: The Classic Treasury of Hans Christian Anderson, Illustrated by Christian Birmingham, Retold by Margaret Clark, 2002


End file.
